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World Cup awakens hope for a `new Brazil'

The World Cup will be held in Brazil in seven years' time. However, many Brazilians -- and not just soccer fanatics -- are already rubbing their hands with glee.

"I must be one of 12 or 14 people, of 180 million Brazilians, who do not like soccer. However, it's still obvious to me that the World Cup can finally catapult us into the first world," Sonia, a secondary school teacher, said in Rio de Janeiro.

Carlos Langoni agreed.

"Our country will be influenced much more positively by the World Cup than was the case with Germany or will be the case with South Africa 2010," said Langoni, adviser to the World Cup Organizing Committee and former Brazilian central bank president.

Large parties were unlikely to take place in the South American country yesterday, because for at least two years Brazilians have considered that they basically have the World Cup "in their pocket."

"I have already been learning English for two months, 90 percent because of the World Cup," Rio taxi driver Mauricio said.

He studied Spanish for one year, and found out during the Pan American Games held in July that this was not enough. Now he knows that you have to tackle the task far in advance.

Joao Arruda, governor of the federal district of Brasilia, is doing the same thing. Long before FIFA had even announced its decision, Arruda had already ordered that all schools in the district teach "the World Cup" as a subject. This is expected to awake, among other things, the interest of volunteers.

Sao Paulo and Rio, in turn, are planning a speedway among the two largest Brazilian metropolis.

In the meantime, Brazil has a lot to do before 2014. Not a single one of the stadiums of the five-time world champion is currently ready for the global event.

The legendary Maracana stadium in Rio was renovated for the Pan American Games at a cost of more than US$210 million. However, it currently offers at best the comfort levels of the provincial third category stadium in Europe.

"The World Cup will leave us among other things more attractive stadiums. Clubs will be able to demand higher ticket prices, and our soccer will be able to finance itself better," Sports Minister Orlando Silva said.

A widespread hope is that Brazilian soccer will then not be so dependent on the export of players.

The joy prior to the official announcement of the World Cup host could be felt everywhere: among residents of Rio's slums, hotel owners and in the highest levels of government.

In the Rocinha slum in Rio -- the largest in Latin America with some 250,000 residents -- the 11-year-old Robertinho uses his fingers to count whether he can make it to play in the national team in seven years' time.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva -- who attended the FIFA announcement ceremony in Zurich along with national coach Carlos Dunga, veteran star Romario, bestselling author Paulo Coelho and many other high-profile representatives of Brazilian politics and entertainment -- promises the population jobs.
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